That was the message from OFTEC’s annual conference, held in Tewksbury, where manufacturers, training providers, technicians, and fuel distributors gathered to work together to deliver practical and affordable renewable solutions for the UK’s 1.7 million oil heated homes.
OFTEC Chairman Neil Sawers opened the conference by emphasising the importance of telling the consumer story. He highlighted that rather than concentrating on technical solutions and strategy documents, policymakers must focus on delivering positive outcomes for households, including a warm home and affordable heating bills.
The first speaker of the event was Tim Miller from the Future Ready Fuel team. He highlighted their recent campaign which saw 16,000 people recently respond to the government’s Alternative Clean Heating consultation in support of renewable liquid fuels.
The campaign found widespread support across the UK with submissions from Cornwall, Wales, Scotland to Northern Ireland. Tim emphasised that households have the most important voice in this conversation and that Future Ready Fuel would continue to ensure they were listened to by policymakers.
A need to act now
Malcolm Farrow, director of marketing and external affairs at OFTEC, then addressed the changing political landscape, stressing the need for the government to accelerate its decision making on decarbonisation.
Despite the recent challenges and price fluctuations due to the Middle East conflict, Malcolm noted the industry was well placed to drive the transition to renewable liquid fuels. With opinion polls showing support declining from the main parties towards newer third parties, he highlighted the risk of policy decisions being pushed further down the road.
Philip Hannon, CEO of The Alliance for Zero Carbon Heating, provided an update from the Republic of Ireland which is planning to introduce a 1.5% renewable fuel blend. He noted while Ireland is slightly further ahead, the industry is pushing for a higher blend percentage to maximise the positive impact. Philip stressed that across Great Britain and Ireland, the industry is prepared to move faster than current government policy allows.
The next speaker, Mark Williams, Head of Training at City Training Cardiff, spoke about the critical role of competent technicians. He explained that skilled professionals will be the primary drivers in transitioning homes onto low carbon heating.
Mark emphasised decisions won’t be made in Westminster but will be made in people’s homes. In particular, he outlined the increasing complex requirements when installing a new system and the importance of training to uphold safety standards and instil the essential consumer confidence.
In a strong position to deliver
Concluding the speaker sessions, OFTEC CEO Paul Rose outlined the trade association’s forward-thinking approach. While continuing its robust support for liquid fuels, he emphasised that OFTEC must recognise the industry is changing.
Paul welcomed the steady increase in technicians joining OFTEC’s registration scope for heat pumps and outlined plans for OFTEC to support more technologies. With it’s well established and respected scheme, OFTEC’s ambition is to be the single point of contact for technicians wishing to grow their business, equipping them with the skills and support to install all off-grid heating technologies and advise consumers on the best approach for their home.
Following the conference, OFTEC CEO Paul Rose commented: “It’s been a very positive conference, and our industry is in a strong position to deliver the transition to low carbon heating in the off-grid sector. What was clear throughout the discussion is that the needs of the consumer must be front and centre. They must have practical and affordable solutions, with the technology to deliver that coming second.
“We strongly believe renewable liquid fuels have a vital role to play in delivering these positive outcomes for oil heated households and we continue to invest in, and support, this approach. We are ready to deliver, and we urge policymakers to work with us and listen to the clear consumer demand for this approach.
“At the same time, we are pleased to welcome more technicians onto our registration scope for heat pumps. OFTEC runs a highly trusted scheme, and we believe the future lies in a technology neutral approach. That’s why we provide technicians with the comprehensive support they need to install all the different renewable heating solutions.”
Images provided by OFTEC with main image showing Technical Director Adrian Lightwood with CEO Paul Rose and Malcom Farrow, Director of Marketing and External Affairs.